Google Awards Code for America $1.5 Million Grant

Nonprofit is accepting applications for its 2013 fellowship.

Code for America has another million or so reasons to continue its work helping make governments more open and efficient.

Google awarded a $1.5 million grant to Code for America to continue the non-profit organization’s fellowship program that pairs technology and Web developers, designers and enthusiasts with cities to foster innovation. The charitable donation will also help fund two new pilot programs designed to help government work better with the people and the power of the Web.

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The two new programs Code for America will launch are the “Civic Startup Seed Accelerator” which will attempt to create sustainable businesses that can become a model “new generation” type of government vendor, and CfA Brigade — an online platform that connects civic hackers locally and to recycle civic apps in their cities.

Code for America will place fellows in eight cities next year, up from three in 2011: Austin, Texas, Detroit, Chicago, Honolulu, Macon, Ga., New Orleans, Philadelphia and Santa Cruz, Calif.

“We’re looking forward not only to great new apps and stories of innovation, but to reuse of the 2011 apps by our new city partners and others,” said Jennifer Pahlka, founder and executive director of Code for America, in a blog thanking Google and other organizations for their support.

Code for America also announced it is now accepting applications for its 2013 fellowship.